Lauren was born with neuroblastoma. But that didn’t keep her from enjoying life. 

She loved all sports, most notably basketball. She always had the most updated pair of Air Jordan sneakers. She loved to win, and was competitive from the time she could walk. Always an excellent student, she had a dream of going on to Duke University to become a lawyer. She loved ice cream, donut holes, macaroni and cheese and homemade fettuccine alfredo. Lauren loved life and her family, as well as movies, sports and playing with her family’s beagles Morty, Weezer, Sassy and Bailey. Christmas was her favorite holiday, and blue was her favorite color. She loved summers spent at Martha's Vineyard, where she and her twin sister, Caitlin, would jump off the "jumping bridge” and spend long days at the beach riding waves and building sandcastles. She loved fishing and playing sports with her father, and shopping and watching movies with her mother. 

Lauren dealt with her untimely diagnosis head-on, willing to take anything thrown her way. Strong and willful, she became a miniature soldier devoted to fighting for her own life. She never wavered. Even during her final months in a hospital bed, she was dreaming of her next move and future achievements. Sadly, at the age of 14, Lauren was diagnosed with a cardiomyopathy which was a late effect of the treatment she received as an infant, and passed away shortly after her 16th birthday. She fought for her life until the very end. 

Caitlin knows there is nothing her twin sister would have loved more than to offer the children born into this situation hope for a better life and a chance to attain their dreams. “This is why pediatric cancer research is so critical,” says Caitlin. “By donating to pediatric cancer research, you can help these children with adequate treatment options, and give them a chance at life.” 

To Caitlin, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation is the vehicle through which we can fight pediatric cancer. Now a SuperSib Ambassador, her greatest hope is for all children who were born with or developed cancer better treatment options and a chance at life. 

Information provided and written by Caitlin, Lauren’s twin sister 
Updated April 2021